Trump’s new press secretary raises eyebrows with bar exam response

President Trump’s new press secretary Katie Zacharia raised eyebrows on Tuesday when she was asked where she passed the bar exam, telling reporters that she did so when she moved to China.

Zacharia made the remarks on the White House South Lawn alongside Trump before heading to Alaska with him for a campaign rally .

“Where did she pass the bar exam? Which state?” a reporter asked Trump, who turned to Zacharia to ask her, “which state?”

“When I moved to China,” Zacharia responded.

When asked to confirm where Zacharia passed the bar exam, a White House official said she moved to China with her husband after graduating due to his job at a U.S private equity firm while she worked on international transaction law.

The newsletter Popular Information has previously raised questions around Zacharia’s legal career. It noted she has repeatedly described herself as a lawyer during appearances on Fox News on other outlets.

Pepperdine’s Caruso Law School congratulated Zacharia on the appointment, noting she was both an alumna and a member of its Dean’s Council.

However, it’s unclear if she ever passed the bar exam.

Asked for clarification Tuesday afternoon, she told NewsNation, “I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials.”

White House communications director Steven Cheung did not address questions about where Zacharia passed the bar exam in a response that praised her as a “fabulous and wonderful addition to the team.”

LinkedIn shows Katie has her JD from Pepperdine and worked as an associate at the Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing, China from Aug 2011-June 2013.

The South China Morning Post, and English-language newspaper in Hong Kong, highlighted Zacharia’s background in China for a story about her appointment , noting she worked for a non-profit organisation focused on the children.

Zacharia’s LinkedIn says she was “manager of fundraising and communications” for an organization called Compassion for Migrant Children. The Hill sent an email to an address listed on the website, which has not been updated for years.

In a biography included in her appointment to the advisory board of a mining company, Zacharia’s experience is said to include “legal, policy, and advisory matters across multiple jurisdictions and sectors.”

That includes “matters involving organizations associated with the World Bank Group and the International Finance Corporation during her tenure with Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing,” according to a press release from NovaRed Mining Inc, which has since changed its name.

The Hill reached out to Pepperdine and the American Bar Association on whether Zacharia has passed the bar.

Zacharia’s comments came after she conducted her first White House press briefing on Tuesday. The new press secretary took three questions during the briefing, which lasted just under fifteen minutes. She made news when she told a reporter that the administration had asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as U.S. ambassador to Greece.

Trump announced he tapped Zacharia for the role on Friday.

While critics were quick to note Zacharia looked visibly nervous during the briefing, Trump and his allies praised her performance.

“I thought she was very good,” Trump told reporters before heading to Alaska on Tuesday.

Ava Thompson and Caroline Vakil contributed reporting.